


The Night of the Living Dolls

by BitterTongue



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Asgard, F/M, Halloween
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-15 05:00:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16926969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BitterTongue/pseuds/BitterTongue
Summary: Loki helps you face your biggest fear





	The Night of the Living Dolls

**Author's Note:**

> Porting over from my tumblr Cordytriestowrite

Your hands were shaking, no, quaking in fear. You could see them, restrained within the arms of your laughing friends as they took you unwillingly toward your doom. You couldn’t breathe but with what little breath you were able to retrieve you were using it to beg, to plead, to practically sob and say anything that would get you out of this nightmare.  
“Please, please Tony let me go. I can’t do this.” You babbled, looking to the captor on you left. The man was smiling like a giddy child, his eyes alight with glee at your misfortune. He ignored you and tugged harder on your arm, quickening his pace. You dug your feet in and tried the captor on your right.  
“Clint you son of a bitch let me go. You can’t do this to me. Please!” Clint only smirked and turned off his hearing aid, even with only one hand on you he still managed to drag you closer and closer to the house.  
Night of the Living Dolls was printed in a cheesy, scary font on a banner hoisted just above the dark entrance to the haunted house. You could see from here the flashing lights just within the doorway. Outside roamed a few scare-actors dressed as baby dolls and ventriloquist dummies, getting close to the people in line with creepy smiles or snarls.  
You hated dolls. Hated them with a passion. They had scared the shit out of you since you were a child, forced to sleep over at grandma’s in what she literally called her doll room. Ancient porcelain dolls lined the walls and stared down at you with unblinking glass eyes as you tried to fall asleep, just waiting for your eyes to close long enough to pounce. It was a childhood fear you could not outgrow as you moved through adulthood, an irrational phobia that sent your body into a state of duress.  
“Stop being a baby,” Natasha called, her hair flipping over her shoulder as she turned back to smirk at you, “it’s not real.”  
“You don’t think I know that?” You were shrill with panic, your eyes wide and searching for anyone, anything, that could get you out of this. Your eyes landed on two tall figures just beyond the queue. They turned toward your ragtag group at the sound of your panicked shouts.  
“Guys, please help. They’re holding me hostage. I don’t want to go in. Thor reason with them, please.”  
Thor raised a blond eyebrow in response, his eyes moving from you to Tony then to Clint and finally Natasha. His brows then furrowed in confusion.  
“Do you not fight terrifying things every day? Are you not an Avenger? What could be so terrifying about a child’s plaything?” Thor scoffed and you swore beyond your labored breathing you heard someone mutter something about midgardians. Your head turned to your final participant of the evening, the tall, slender, bored-looking brother of the man you once considered a friend.  
“Loki, please, make them see reason.”  
You could see Loki’s expression waiver for a moment to one of pity before resting back on indifference.  
“Let the girl go this isn’t an execution.”  
And it worked. Tony and Clint dropped your arms and you were free. You turned, ready to run despite the lightheadedness from all your shouting, but the hands on your shoulders pulled you back around and stalked you toward the ever-growing queue.  
“You cannot run. You must face this foolish fear.” Thor belted heartily. He guided you into the line and the rest followed behind with triumphant grins and high fives.  
The wait was extending past everyone’s enthusiasm. The line moved slowly as small groups were let in a couple minutes at a time. You had managed to escape Thor’s hold and maneuver yourself to the back of the group, unnoticed over their laughter and energetic conversation. You knew if you ran they would then notice and probably torture you even further so you chose instead to make yourself as unseen and quiet as possible, taking deep breaths to calm your jittery nerves. It only worked up until the line moved a few steps forward, then the shiver of weary anticipation would start all over again.  
Maybe you hadn’t noticed him or maybe he had only just arrived by your side, but with the next shuffle forward you felt a soft hand touch your lower back and with a considerate pressure move you a few steps forward. The touch didn’t send you into a panic, it felt comforting.  
“Don’t get yourself worked up. They can smell fear.” A deep, velvety voice whispered into your ear. It was joking, that much you could gather, but whether he was talking about the dolls or your friends you could not discern. You nodded instead.  
His hand remained on your lower back, delicately moving you along with each gap left by another disappearing group. You were within the confines of the property, fenced in by a creepy wrought iron fence covered in fake cobwebs. This is where the milling scare-actors were making their rounds. You whimpered reflexively. You could see one, a woman dressed as a Raggedy Ann doll, limping and craning her neck weirdly, like she was possessed. In her hand she held an overly large knife dripping with blood. You watched horrified as she got right up in the face of a man a few group ahead of you and licked the blade before cackling like a mad woman. You did not want her coming anywhere near you.  
Of course your luck seemed to be tapped out for the day, because she made her way down the line straight for your group. You scooted closer in, wedging yourself up against Loki and doing your best to hide behind Thor’s massive back and broad shoulders. Loki’s hand moved from your back to your hip, holding you close to him. You heard the Raggedy Ann’s high pitched eerie shriek and burrowed your head into Loki’s shoulder, heart racing in terror.  
Please don’t notice me, please don’t notice me. You chanted in your head. You didn’t dare look up from Loki’s shoulder, finding comfort in the slightly boney but muscular feature. He smelled fresh despite the humidity in the air.  
She ambled past you, eyes unseeing the two huddled figures, and didn’t stop for another round of fright until she was well beyond your sight. You sighed in relief and lifted your head. Your friends were back to chatting amongst themselves.  
“Sorry,” you said, pulling free of Loki’s personal space but staying close enough to jump back in if need be, “I just really hate this.”  
He smiled. It was a small smile but it was genuine. You smiled back, wider than he did. That was the first time you had seen a smile on the god’s face. He preferred a look of boredom or annoyance around you and the others.  
The next time a scare-actor got too close you did not hesitate to cuddle close to Loki, his hand protectively resting on you hip each time.  
“We’re next.” Tony sang causing everyone to turn toward you with expected looks laced with teasing and delight. The content feeling you felt in Loki’s presence was zapped quickly from you and irritation took its place.  
“I hate all of you.” You exclaimed, your finger pointing in each of your friends’ faces for good measure. Your finger, along with your glare, never fell on Loki who you deemed your new favorite person.  
Your anxiety was back full force as the entrance to the haunted house loomed above you, its loud sound effects now reaching your ears along with the screams and giggles of patrons. You felt like throwing up. You wiped a cold sweat from your brow and swallowed the excess saliva building in your mouth. A cool, firm hand found your shaky, sweaty one and held it tightly. You looked away from the doorway and your eyes met those of calm, cool blue. Loki yet again offered you a small smile, a small, genuine smile and you found your urge to vomit recede.  
“How many?” The creepy ventriloquist worker asked in a haunter drawl.  
“Six” Clint said making a show of counting your heads.  
“Four at a time.” The worker said. Sounding less like he cared to be creepy.  
“Three and three?” Natasha said.  
“Or I can just step out?” You offered, a last ditch effort to get out of going through the house.  
“That would still leave us with an extra person.” Tony said, reaching for your arm to drag you into his group.  
“You all go ahead. I will get her through.” Loki’s calm, deep voice called out. His annoyed look was back. Your hands were still clasped together but held just behind Loki’s back so the others couldn’t see. You were glad he didnt let go.  
The others went in with little argument only because of the grumbles from the group directly behind you. You waited until Thor disappeared through the curtain and your connection to the group severed to face Loki fully, eyes wide in dread.  
“Please don’t make me go in there, Loki.” You begged.  
He smiled, wider than the last two times, making you feel warm all over. It was comforting despite the heat of the October air.  
“Trust me, love. I’ll get you through this.”  
“Next.” The scare-actor moaned. Loki guided you toward the door and you resisted halfheartedly, the urge to trust Loki overcoming your urge to run.  
He opened the curtain and you stepped though. The first room was enough to make you regret stepping foot near this place.  
“Loki.” Your voice warbled his name as you stared wide eyed at the slew of dolls nailed to the wall and hanging from the ceiling. His hands came to rest on your waist and you slid you palms onto his hands and squeezed harshly.  
“Close your eyes.” He whispered in your ear and you were more than willing to comply. Your eyes were shut so tight it almost caused a headache. Your ears were you only indication of the change. The haunting music, the screams, the laughs, all faded away to a calm, not so quiet silence.  
“Now open” he whispered and you yet again obeyed easily, your trust in him making you willing to do anything he said without fear.  
Where there was once a dank, dark, doll-filled space was a large open gold-guilded hall. You gaped as your eyes roamed every nook and cranny of the new location, in awe of its grand beauty.  
“This is Asgard.” Loki explained.  
“Its beautiful.” Was all you could think to say, your mind unable to compose a description worthy of your view. Loki nudged you forward down the hall and you wandered in the direction his hands guided you.  
“Whenever I am lonely or scared,” Loki began low in your ear as if speaking any louder would break the illusion, “I imagine my home and it makes everything better…for a little while.”  
You could only squeeze your fingers around his large hands still on your hips. Suddenly you knew speaking would break the spell Loki had cloaked the two of you in. Eventually the end of the hall grew closer. You looked back at Loki and he nodded in response to your unspoken question. You turned the knob and stepped through.  
“You survived!” Clint exclaimed, pulling you into a congratulatory hug. You blinked twice at the sudden change of scenery and realized what Loki had done. He had gotten you through the house.  
“I hope you learned to face your fear.” Thor boomed, his arms crossed as if he won because you learned some sort of lesson. You nodded to appease him.  
The group turned and made their way back to the parking lot talking and laughing and mostly ignoring you again. You slipped to the back of the group where Loki strolled leisurely, looking unamused with the evening. When your step fell in line with his the bored look lifted and he allowed you to see his wide smile. It made you swallow around your heart which was now lodged in your throat.  
“Thank you.” You said low enough that the others would not hear. For added measure you laced your hand back into his. He accepted the gesture with a gentle squeeze back. He simply nodded in return but the smile remained on his face and his hand remained in yours.


End file.
